Page 31 of Vicious Redemption

“We’re going to spoil you rotten. And give you lots of brothers and sisters to play with. Would you like that, principessa? A big family of our own?”

A family that will bring us together even if our families can’t find peace.

“You want lots of children?” Tia asks softly, reclaiming my attention.

I look up to meet her eyes and find them glimmering with tears. The emotion in them tugs at my heartstrings. “I’ve always thought it would be nice to have siblings, so I pictured having more than one.”

It was lonely growing up as an only child—especially after my mother died. And Tia seems so close to her sisters, I assumed she would want that for our own family. But suddenly, I wonder if I’m wrong. Maybe she doesn’t want children. It puts a knot in my stomach to think I’ve taken that choice from her. I won’t be like my father, so driven to have heirs that I’m willing to put Tia’s health or happiness on the line.

“Do you not want that?” I ask, fighting to keep the disappointment from my voice.

16

TIA

Watching Leo speak to our unborn child fills me with warmth. His sweet profession of love brings tears to my eyes. It fascinates me that he can be so brutal at some moments and so tender at others. And seeing the vulnerability in his hazel gaze now, as he waits for my answer, rocks me to my very core.

I captured a glimpse of his fatherly devotion the day he saved my life—when Dr. Luca performed an ultrasound to check on our baby’s health, and Leo heard its heartbeat for the first time.

But now, the flicker of anxiety that he quickly masks reveals a hope for a family I hadn’t realized he possessed. Until now, I hadn’t fathomed that Leo even thought about wanting children. I felt thrust upon him, a responsibility he accepted and a bride he was coming to terms with.

Suddenly, I feel so much more precious—like I’m the prize this unexpected baby has brought him. And I’m bearing the gift he craves most in this world.

“I want lots of children,” I confirm tearily.

Leo releases a heavy breath as if in relief. Then he shifts to hover over me once again. “Then why are you crying?” he asks, his tone a blend of affection and incredulousness.

I laugh as a tear leaks from the corner of my eye, and I brush it away impatiently. “I don’t know. Because I’m pregnant? And hearing you talk to our baby made me so happy.”

Leo chuckles softly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’ll have to remember that,” he promises and leans in to kiss me passionately.

I hum with appreciation, savoring his affection and wishing he might spend the morning in bed with me. “What are your plans for the day?” I ask when he finally breaks the kiss.

“Business,” he says simply. Then he presses a kiss to my forehead and rolls out of bed.

Trying not to feel the slight of his notably vague answer, I pull the sheets protectively up around my body and watch him stalk confidently toward our bathroom.

“Are you going to visit your father?” I try for casual, though the topic somehow feels off-limits—like I’m treading into personal territory where I don’t belong. “I haven’t had the chance to, and I would like to check in on him. If I’m allowed.” I swallow hard, my eyes dropping to the bed as my heart beats harder.

Leo pauses in the doorway. His body of Adonis looks glorious in his naked perfection as I dare to glance up through my lashes. And when our eyes meet, he seems to soften.

“I’ll swing by to pick you up later in the afternoon. We can go see him together.”

I smile in relief, the anxiety melting from my shoulders. I’m grateful that he’s willing to let me out of the house—even for a little while—and I’m glad I’ll get to see Don Moretti. The fact that he’s in the hospital because of my family has set like a burning coal at the back of my mind. “That sounds great.”

With a single nod, Leo turns and vanishes into the bathroom, leaving me to settle back into my pillows. As the early-morning sun filters in through the window, it leaves me feeling warm and more at ease than I would have thought possible just twenty-four hours ago.

We might be far from on stable footing, but at least it feels like Leo and I are back on the right path. I hate that mistrust still lingers between us. But I get the sense that we have a good chance of mending things because we both want that.

Covering my belly with my palms, I silently thank our child for bringing us together against all odds. And for the first time, I feel like Leo and I can really get through this—we can get through almost anything—because this baby is what matters most.

* * *

Whether it’s the result of such taxing events and a roller coaster of emotions over the last forty-eight hours or the fact that Leo and I have found our way back to each other and I can now feel more at ease, I sink into a peaceful sleep before he’s even out of the shower.

He must have chosen to let me rest because the next thing I know, it’s well past midday. I stretch across the bed, relishing the slight ache in my muscles and between my thighs from having enjoyed so much time with Leo.

Sighing in my contentment, I take a moment to relive my favorite parts of our intimacy. And at the top of the list is Leo pressing his ear to my belly and talking to our baby this morning.

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