Giulia organized Simona’s first birthday party in January, baking a cake and decorating everything with balloons. My family came over around teatime.
Simona had done her first steps by now and followed Giulia like a puppy. She was too young to remember her mother. For her, there was only Giulia.
Faro and his wife and two children were invited as well. He joined me in a quiet moment. “She got Daniele to talk again.”
I nodded, following Giulia with my eyes. She righted the sunflower in Simona’s hair. My daughter’s dress also had a sunflower print. She looked adorable, so I gave up protesting. “She did. She’s good with the kids.”
“And good with you,” Faro said with a suggestive grin.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Come on, Cassio. It’s like you fell into the fountain of youth, and you’re less cranky than in the past. I’m happy for you.”
I didn’t say anything.
“Your father approached me.” From the change in Faro’s voice, I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say.
“What did he want?”
“He asked me to talk to you about having a child with Giulia. He thinks you should be prepared for any eventualities.”
“The eventualities being that Daniele’s not my son?” I gritted out.
Faro shrugged. “It is an option, and not an unlikely one at that.”
“I don’t need another child, and I certainly don’t need you or my father to meddle in my business.”
Faro raised his arms. “I didn’t want to meddle. That’s why I told you. But your dad won’t give up anytime soon. He’s worried.”
“If he accepted that Daniele and Simona are my kids, he could stop worrying.”
“You tell him.”
I made my way over to my parents, who were talking to Mia, who was cradling her newborn son in her arms. She looked exhausted.
“Stop it, Father.”
He knew what I meant without me having to elaborate. “I’m trying to think of your future.”
I motioned toward Daniele, who was holding Simona’s hand since she was still a bit unsteady on her legs. “There is my future. End of story.”
Mother touched my forearm. “We love them, but—”
“No but.”
They exchanged a look then nodded reluctantly.
Mia gave me a proud smile.
I hoped this matter was settled once and for all. The more Father kept digging, the likelier it was that word about this would get out.
After everyone was gone, Giulia and I played a round of pool. I needed the distraction, and she’d become quite good at distracting me.
“Tomorrow, you need to take Daniele to a preschool orientation. I made an appointment a few days ago.”
Bent over the table, Giulia froze. Then she straightened. “What? Why?”
“I want him to be around other kids. This preschool only takes in kids from our circles or our business associates. Daniele will be around his future soldiers. He’ll learn to assert himself among the other boys. If he’s only around you, he might become too soft.”
Anger crossed her face. I shook my head. “It’s a fact. You can’t help it. And I only spend the evenings and weekends with him. He needs to brawl and meet unruly boys.”
“Don’t interrupt me. You don’t even know what I was going to say.” Her tone set my teeth on edge. After the thing with my father today, I’d been eager for a fight.
“Then say what you want to say.”
“You should have discussed your plans with me.”
“My decision is made. Daniele needs the change.”
Giulia jabbed her finger against my chest. “Even so, we’re a family. I’m your wife. I deserve to be involved in a decision like that!”
“They’re my kids, Giulia.”
Her hurt hit me unexpectedly.
“No,” she said fiercely. “They are our kids, Cassio. I told you before and I’ll tell you again. I love all three of you.”
I stared, my anger slipping away faster than quicksand. “What?”
She nodded, looking furious. “You heard me. They aren’t just your kids. They are mine too. You can’t call them yours when you see fit. They are always ours, yours and mine. Maybe not by blood, but I’d bleed for them all the same. So don’t talk to me like these two kids don’t mean anything to me when they mean everything. Just like their stubborn, idiotic father.”
It was the first time Giulia had insulted me. The first time she’d gotten loud, almost screaming. Her anger didn’t kindle my own like it had done with Gaia in the past, because Giulia’s words were the best thing I’d ever heard. My thoughts tumbled over each other. Still, a small sliver of doubt remained as if my fucked-up mind couldn’t accept that someone as good, as kind, as loving as Giulia really was mine. Fuck, I loved her, even those bangs I hated in the beginning, even those horrendous sunflower dresses, even when she disrespected me by rolling her eyes. God, especially then. I grasped her cheeks. “I love you too.”
She blinked. Now it was her turn to be stunned. “What… you do?”
“You really have to ask?”
She searched my face with the same disbelief I’d felt only moments before. “Say it.”
“I love you.”
“Again.”
I chuckled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I kissed her, pulling her close. Eventually, she pulled back. “Are they my kids?”
“They are,” I said.
“Then allow me to decide with you.”
“I didn’t say how many days Daniele is supposed to spend in preschool. They have different options. How about you discuss them with the teachers tomorrow and then we’ll decide together?”
“Deal.” She smiled. “You really love me?”
I kissed her bangs. “Really.”
Faro and I met in my cigar lounge for our weekly check-in. Things in New York had been difficult at best, getting information on the matter even worse.
“Luca’s been particularly volatile these last couple of months. He’s been killing more men. Traitors, bikers, Bratva soldiers. People are worried if they make one wrong move, Luca will end them too.”
“People who don’t have anything to hide don’t have to worry.”
Faro grimaced. “Exactly, but we both know you didn’t tell Luca the truth about Andrea and Gaia. In his current mood, that could be your death sentence.”
“Only you and my father know. Father made sure of it.” Father had killed the cleaning team and Doctor Sal after Gaia’s death without consulting with me. He sometimes forgot I was now Underboss and didn’t need his meddling.
“What about Giulia?”
I frowned. “I trust Giulia.”
Faro shook his head. “After Gaia, you shouldn’t. What if she mentions something to her brother or God forbid her father? Felix will use his chance to either blackmail you or tell Luca so he gets bonus points.”
“Giulia won’t tell anyone.”
“They are her family. She’s a woman. They tend to overlook the shortcomings of their loved ones.”
“A fact we should be grateful for, or neither your nor my wife would put up with us.” Shortcomings didn’t even begin to cover my faults. Giulia accepted them. From the first day of our marriage, she’d taken care of Simona and Daniele selflessly, despite her young age.
“Talk to her,” Faro insisted.
A knock sounded and Giulia poked her head in. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, but Christian is here and says he needs to talk to you.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Send him in.”
Faro gave me a meaningful look.
Christian stepped in. “Faro. Cassio, can I have a word alone with you?”
“As my Consigliere, Faro will stay.”
Since the incident in December, I didn’t trust Christian anymore. We’d never been friends, but he’d been a good asset. It was unfortunate that our work relationship had suffered because of my unreasonable jealousy. I wasn’t a man who apologized, and I doubted Christian would have accepted one.
Christian nodded. He didn’t come farther into the room. Instead, he stayed close to the door. “I talked to Luca…”
Faro cut me a sharp look, but I didn’t get swept up in his panic. I still didn’t think Giulia had told her brother anything. Maybe Christian had his suspicions, but he knew better than to spread rumors that weren’t based on solid proof. I was in good standing with Luca. It would take a lot to convince him otherwise.
“I’m going to work in New York under him in the next few years until I take over in Baltimore.”
Fury raced through my veins, but I held back. “You didn’t consult with me first?”
“I’m not really one of your soldiers, Cassio. I’m the son of an Underboss. Only Luca can give me orders at the end of the day. He agreed to have me work under him.”
“Did you tell him why?”
“I said that we both have too strong of personalities to work well together.”
I narrowed my eyes, wondering if that was all he’d said. He’d been clever about contacting Luca first. That way he could make sure I wouldn’t get rid of him. Not that I would have ended him. I’d done enough damage in the past and wouldn’t risk Giulia’s love by killing her brother. “Good luck with your new endeavor. Just remember that Luca doesn’t hesitate killing those he considers a threat.”
Christian’s smile was tight. “I think you and him are very similar in that regard.” He inclined his head then left.
Faro shook his head, frowning. “This isn’t good.”
“You’re reading too much into it.”
“The truth has a nasty habit of getting out. You should have told Luca everything from the start.”
My phone rang. It was Luca. Faro looked like he considered booking us the next flight to Colombia to disappear. “Luca, what can I do for you?”
“I assume Christian talked to you?”
No bullshit talk as usual. Luca always cut to the chase. “He did. I always assumed his work under me would be temporary. Now that he’s my brother-in-law, things only became more complicated.”
“That’s what I guessed.” He paused. “Is there anything I should know?”
My pulse quickened but I didn’t let it show. “In what regard?”
“About Christian. You’ve been dealing with him for years.”
“He’s effective. Tough. He knows how to handle himself. He’s nothing like his father. You won’t regret taking him in.”
“Good. That’s all for now.”
I hung up. Faro raised his brows.
“It’s fine.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way. If he ever finds out, he’ll take us all down—you, your father, and me. And it won’t be pretty.”
Giulia
I hovered close to the cigar lounge after Christian went in. After Cassio almost killed my brother, I worried about them being in a room together, even if they’d worked together in the last couple of months.
My shoulders slumped in relief when Christian finally stepped out. “What is it? Is everything all right?”
He nodded. “I’m going to move to New York to work under Luca.”
“Oh,” I said, disappointed. We hadn’t seen each other often, but it had been nice knowing he lived in the same city. “Because of what happened between you and Cassio?”
Christian laughed. “Fuck, of course. He accused us of having an affair. That’s too much bullshit for my taste. And working under Luca will allow me to build better connections to the people who matter.”
“Isn’t there another way? Can’t you make peace with Cassio? I don’t want you to hate my husband.”
Christian regarded me with obvious astonishment. “You care about him.”
“I do. I know it’s hard to believe, but he’s good to me.”
“I’m glad, but things between Cassio and me are too tense. One day, we’ll have to work together again, but right now it’s for the best if we don’t see each other.”
“I understand. When will you leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
I hugged him. “Don’t be a stranger and call me.”
Cassio and Faro drove off shortly after, and I went into the dog park with the kids and Loulou. Surprise washed over me when Mansueto limped toward me not ten minutes after our arrival.
“Giulia, may I join you?” he asked. Elia stood immediately, making room on the bench.
“Of course,” I said, suspicious of his motives. “How did you know I was here?”
“Domenico.”
I nodded, slanting my older bodyguard a glance, but he was pointedly looking somewhere else.
Mansueto turned to Elia. “Give us some privacy.” Elia walked toward Simona and Daniele, who were watching Loulou play with a dachshund. Domenico had taken up watch a good distance away.
I blew into my hands to warm them, acutely aware of Mansueto’s intense scrutiny. “I’d like you to reconsider your decision not to get pregnant.”
My eyebrows skyrocketed. “It’s not only my decision. It’s Cassio’s as well. He doesn’t want more children right now. Simona and Daniele need our full attention.”
Mansueto watched a group of dogs chasing each other. “That’s because he prefers to pretend the kids are his.”
“You don’t know that they aren’t. Andrea and Gaia might have said it to hurt him.”
“So he told you everything?”
I bit my lip. “You should accept Cassio’s decision.”
“He’d change his mind if he knew the truth.”
“What truth?”
Mansueto fixed me with a sad look. “That the children aren’t his.”
“You don’t know that.”
“That’s not true. I did a paternity test without Cassio’s knowledge.”
I froze. “What?”
“Neither Simona nor Daniele are his. The test confirmed it. They are Andrea’s.”
My heart sank. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because Cassio doesn’t want to know. If I tell him… he can be very stubborn. I need your help.”
“I won’t tell him either. He doesn’t want to know, and I respect his wish.”
“Then don’t tell him now. One day he’ll find out. It’s bound to happen. At least, make sure Cassio will have an heir by then. Give him a baby. Don’t you want your own child, Giulia?”
Simona and Daniele giggled when Loulou and her dog friend had a tug of war over a long branch. “I can’t do anything.”
Mansueto touched my hand. “Cassio won’t be angry if you forget to take the pill and get pregnant by accident. You’re young and got a lot on your plate.”
I couldn’t believe what he was suggesting. “No,” I said firmly. “I won’t trick Cassio like that. Please don’t ask me for something like that ever again. Let Cassio believe Daniele and Simona’s are his, if that’s what he wants. He loves them.”
Mansueto let out a gravelly sigh. “No wonder he’s infatuated with you.”
Daniele spotted his grandpa and rushed over to us, throwing his tiny arms around him. Mansueto stroked Daniele’s head. “You’re fast, sweet child.”
Daniele smiled up at him and began telling him about Loulou and her dog friends. I stood and caught Simona, who’d stumbled twice in her haste to follow her brother and was bawling. Mansueto lifted Daniele on his lap and pointed at a Great Dane. Slowly, I returned to them.
Simona beamed at her grandfather, and he stroked her chubby cheek with a kind smile. He treated them like his grandkids.
Before he left for home, I cornered him alone. “Please promise me you won’t let anything slip to Daniele and Simona. Daniele’s getting better. He speaks. He loved his first day of preschool. I don’t want old wounds to open because blood is more important to you than anything else.”
“You should remember who you are talking to.”
“I’m not someone to show disrespect. But I’ll protect these children, even against their own grandfather if necessary.”
Mansueto let out a croaky laugh then patted my shoulder. “Cassio’s a lucky man.”
He turned around and limped back toward the black limousine with his bodyguards.
“Everything okay?” Elia inquired.
“Yeah.” I hoped I’d convinced Mansueto.
Cassio worked late and I fell asleep beside Daniele. When I woke past midnight, I followed the trickle of light downstairs and into the cigar lounge.
Cassio sat in his armchair in front of the fireplace, a tumbler with whisky in his hand, his brows drawn together as he stared into the flames. His jacket and tie were thrown hazardously over the second chair. He was still in his vest, but the top buttons of his shirt were undone and so were his cuffs. He rubbed his stubble with his palm, looking as if he’d been set up like that for an aftershave or whisky commercial.
“You’re brooding,” I said as I stepped into the room.
“I’m not.”
I locked the door. Cassio’s eyebrows rose as I strode toward him. “Yes, you are. You keep worrying too much.”
He shook his head. “There’s too much to worry about.”
“Talk to me about it.”
I stopped in front of him. He looked weary and tired. He was working too much, worrying too much. “It’s business, Giulia.”
“Is it because of my brother?”
“It’s part of it. Luca’s stirred up a lot of shit with his brutal attacks these last few months. It’s only a matter of time before the Bratva and the bikers will retaliate. But you shouldn’t worry about it. You can’t do anything about it.”
“I can make you feel better.”
He shook his head but stopped when I knelt down between his legs. He breathed out as he set the glass down on the table. Smiling up at him, I pulled down his zipper and massaged him through his boxers until he was hot and hard under my palm. Cassio’s breathing had deepened and desire swam in his eyes. I freed his cock from his boxers and took only the tip into my mouth. My gaze found the glass on the side table. I reached for it and slipped the ice cube into my mouth. Cassio watched with parted lips, his chest heaving. I sucked the ice for a couple of seconds before I let it slide back into the glass, then I closed my now cold lips around Cassio’s tip again.
“Oh fuck,” he rasped, his head falling back. After a moment, he tilted it back down so he could watch me through half-closed eyes.
I took him deeper into my mouth, inch by inch, using my tongue to tease the sensitive tip, really taking my time, savoring his heat and taste. Cassio kept his hands, palm flat, on the armrest and let me pleasure him. For once, he let me be in control. I wanted to show him that I took care of him because I cared for him… because I loved him.
I loved the sounds he made when he was close, the low moans and sharp breaths. I loved the way his fingers flexed against the leather armrest, how his muscular thighs quivered under the expensive fabric of his Brioni pants. But most of all, I loved the possessive gleam in his eyes a second before he let loose.
“Yes, honey,” he rasped. He tensed and came with a small shudder, his eyes falling shut. My own lust was hot and heavy between my legs, but I ignored it for now.
I swallowed and kept working him with my tongue and mouth as he twitched with the last aftershocks of his orgasm. I stroked his balls lightly and kept him in my mouth, only gently sucking. When he stilled and looked at me, he cupped my cheek. I let his cock slowly glide out of my mouth, causing him to moan low in his throat again. I kissed his thigh. “Better?”
He let out a raw chuckle. “Yeah.” He leaned forward and grasped my hips. “Now it’s my turn.”
“This was about you.”
“I know.” He hoisted me to my feet then slipped his head under my nightgown. Hooking a finger under my panties, he moved them aside, revealing my swollen flesh. He slipped his tongue between my lips and I gasped. He grasped my thigh and lifted one of my legs so my foot was on the armrest, opening me up for him. Like I had done, he took the ice cube and sucked it in his mouth before he dropped it in his hand and slid his cold tongue through my folds. The coldness thrilled me, making my back arch in pleasure. He thrust his tongue into me, and I gripped his head for better leverage so I could move my hips and drive it even deeper into me. He pulled back and then his fingers touched the ice cube to my pussy. I cried out at the sensation. Cassio rubbed the cube over my folds slowly until I was coated with the cold liquid, and then he leaned forward again and gently sucked the moisture from my sensitive skin. I shook from the force of pleasure, but I held back. Cassio pushed two fingers into me, ice-cold from holding onto the cube.
I rocked my hips, needing more, desperate for more. One of his fingers found my ass and pushed in. “Oh God,” I gasped. Two fingers in my pussy, the tip of one in my ass and Cassio’s mouth on my clit, I fell apart with a violent shudder. He pressed me closer to his face and as he did, he slid deeper into my back entrance. The force of my orgasm dulled the pain. I sank down on his lap, sated and exhausted.
“What was that?” I finally managed.
“I wanted to do more than just slap your pretty ass.”
I huffed.
“Did you like it?”
“I’m undecided, but I’m leaning toward no.”
He laughed deep in his throat. “Maybe I can convince you.”
“Maybe. But you’ll have to be very convincing with your tongue before I’ll give this another try.”
He stroked my hipbone and back, and I smiled to myself. I’d been worried all day because of the conversation with Mansueto. Now I felt lighter. Nothing had changed. I’d keep the truth from Cassio, for himself and for the kids.
“I think Simona is starting to speak.”
“What did she say?” Cassio sounded tired, his voice even lower than usual.
“Dada. It sounds a bit like Dad.”
Cassio squeezed my arm but didn’t say anything.
“I’ve been wondering what she’s supposed to call me. I know Daniele calls me Giulia, but…” I swallowed, worried about voicing my idea “…but I thought maybe Simona wants to call me mom. She doesn’t remember Gaia, and it would be sad if she never had someone she could call Mom. She—”
Cassio finally interrupted my rambling by pulling back and kissing me. “You’re right. You are her mom now, so that’s what she should call you. She’ll probably get confused in the beginning because Daniele calls you Giulia.”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. I’ll move at their pace. I’m just happy they both accept me.”
“It’s because you accepted them from the very first day. You never resented them or me for the weight of your responsibilities.”
“In the beginning, it felt like a responsibility. Like something I needed to master, but it isn’t like that anymore. This family is part of my life now.”
