Page 45 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don

Kate

I crack my eyes open.

What was that pounding noise?

I belatedly realize that the sound is coming from the other side of the door to my prison cell bedroom.

I sigh, taking one last moment to enjoy the warmth of Elio’s body against mine.

“What?” I call out, irritation plain in my tone.

“You two lovebirds had better come out or I’ll just walk in and interrupt whatever is going on. It’s time to talk business.”

The voice is Luca’s and my insides quiver in despair. I have ruined all of my plans by giving in to Elio like this, so soon.

I needed to drag things out for longer to help keep the Baldinis at bay. Even if I have won Elio over, I have lost most of my control over the Baldinis by making it clear that Elio and I have made up.

“Not until I see my son,” Elio shouts at the door. “Don’t rush me, Baldini.”

There’s a muffled curse from the hallway and then the door flies open as Luca bursts through it.

I scrape the covers up over my body at the last moment, but I think Luca might have gotten quite the eyeful if his expression is any indication.

I feel a moment of joy at the thought that Emelia will have to compete with the memory of my naked body engraved in her husband’s mind forever now.

“Did she agree to let you see the boy?” Luca demands, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elio chuckles but his expression is annoyed. “Bastard. Now you want to respect her wishes?” He drags a hand through his hair before he glances at me. “Up to you,” he says to me and my heart leaps in joy at this concession.

Even if we all know that I can’t prevent any of the men in this house from forcibly arranging a meeting between Elio and his son, it is nice to be handed a modicum of control for the first time in weeks.

“I promised him that he could meet Mateo this morning,” I confirm. I watch Luca warily when he doesn’t immediately reply. The man is like a snake, hard to read and quick to strike. I don’t trust him any further than I could throw him.

Finally, Luca allows a smile to cross his face. “Fine. Get dressed. The boy is having breakfast downstairs with the other kids. Enzo came over this morning to check on the status of our deal. Don’t keep us waiting.”

I watch Luca leave the room, drawing the door shut behind him with a slam.

I sigh and collapse back onto the bed, rubbing my eyes.

My life is a circus. All I wanted was to have a bunch of kids and worry about keeping the house tidy. How have things ended up like this?

“What are you going to do about the deal that they want to cut with you?” I ask him as I watch him collecting his clothing off the floor of my prison bedroom.

There’s a niggling and unhinged urge rattling around in my brain to ask him to come back to bed with me so I can go back to sleep. I know it’s insane, but it feels like a much better way to spend the morning than in a terrifyingly tense meeting with Enzo and Luca Baldini.

Elio is silent for so long that I thought that he’s not going to answer me, but then he says, “Clearly, I’m going to have to agree to whatever they demand.”

My heart quivers at the danger lingering behind the flat tone in his voice.

I’m no fool. I know how much money is wrapped up in the trade routes that the Baldinis want to steal from Elio. I doubt he can afford to let them go and surrendering them so easily will make him look weak.

Giving an inch in Elio’s business invites the other families to take a mile. In short, giving in to the Baldinis will not only mean that Elio will lose money; it will mean that he is exposing himself to significant danger.

“Elio,” I say softly, my throat feeling constricted. “You can’t give them those routes. It will put you in danger.”

“What would you have me do?” Elio says back to me, slipping his pants on and buckling his belt. “Leave you here? Leave Mateo here? Lose you both again?”

I bite my lip, thinking furiously. I feel exceedingly stupid that I didn’t think of the implications surrounding this deal until just now. But he’s right as well. The Baldinis have been very clever indeed.

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