Page 32 of Surprise Baby for the Mafia Boss

"I never meant for it to come to this," I confess, my eyes welling with tears. "You have to understand, Grazia.” What had started as a plan, a calculated move, evolved into something more. But Grazia hardly knows the journey that my mind has been on in the past couple of months.

“Luca and I... our connection is stronger now. I don’t want to see him hurt. I want to help him succeed. And this baby won’t mess any of that up."

Grazia's anger seems to momentarily soften, replaced by a mix of confusion and hurt. I take a deep breath, the weight of my words hanging in the air.

"I care about your brother, Grazia. And I care about you! We’ve been friends for most of our lives. None of that had anything to do with your brother. This has all been a roller coaster since Ginny died and all I was trying to do was be there for the whole family, but I knew Luca would take it the hardest, and Ginny even mentioned him in the letter she left me.”

The mention of her grandmother seems to hit a nerve with Grazia, but she’s listening to me, so I continue. “We just happened to find a connection that became more intimate. It's not just about a child or some grand scheme of mine. The plan, if there ever was one, got lost along the way. Please, let me explain."

Grazia, though still visibly upset, seems to relent slightly.

"Explain, then," she demands, her eyes searching mine for sincerity.

"I thought it was a transaction, a simple arrangement," I begin, the words tumbling out in haste. "But, Grazia, something changed between Luca and I when we were in Mexico, and these weeks after. Our connection became real. He’s opened up to me and the lines have blurred. I never meant to hurt him, or you, like this."

Grazia's expression softens ever so slightly, a flicker of understanding breaking through the storm of emotions.

"You're telling me you fell in love with my brother?"

"Yes," I nod, tears streaming down my face now, too.

"I didn't plan for it, but it happened. I love Luca, and I never wanted any of this to jeopardize what we have as friends."

Grazia, seems to absorb my words but she still looks at me as if I’ve just committed a heinous crime. "Luca needs to know, Emelia. You can't keep this from him."

"I know," I sigh. "But let me explain it to him. I'll make things right, Grazia, I promise."

Just as we both let out deep sighs of emotion-filled breaths, I hear the door open and see Luca walk in. Grazia and I freeze, surprised by his sudden appearance. I’m sure the scene he’s just walked into has shocked him too.

“What’s going on here?” he asks.

Chapter Seventeen

Luca

Waking up in my room at the family house feels odd. I’ve spent so many nights at my apartment with Emelia that this now feels more like a guesthouse than anything else.

Last night was important. I had to brief my men on what was happening and oversee the security measures we are putting into place after the shooting, but a part of me felt like I should have been with Emelia instead.

Things were finally looking good since we lost Nonna. Business is booming, money is coming in, and I’m sure I see a glimmer of respect coming from Enzo.

I take Nonna’s box out of my cupboard in the main house and scoop out her diamond ring, the one Nonno gave her when he asked her to be his wife. I’ve been deep in thought for the past few days, but after all of the time I’ve spent with Emelia, I can’t help but feel like this is it.

The Mexicans are happy, the product is arriving, and we’ve exterminated the guys who were trying to get into our warehouse. I still can’t prove it was the Morellis who sent them, but just in case, I got my guys to go and drop a message off with them. Just a bit of roughing them up and things seem quiet again.

I smile, thinking about Bobby Morelli sitting in his hospital bed, fully aware of why we had warned him already not to mess with us.

Holding the tiny ring in my hand, I imagine life with Emelia as my wife. She’s already proven herself in front of associates, and she’s fully aware of the dangers that come with being a Baldini wife.

I can see us having crazy sex, securing deals, and keeping a wonderful home together. Perhaps, one day, even tiny little feet running around. But not for a while.

I need to secure things better before I add father to my list of roles and responsibilities.

I put the ring into my jacket pocket and head out the door, getting into my car to drive to our family’s jeweler.

“Luca, how you have grown!” The elderly lady smiles at me. She saw me at Nonna’s memorial, but at her age, I suppose it’s forgivable to forget.

“Yvette,” I smile at her. “You look lovely.” We greet with a kiss on each cheek and I follow her to her counter.

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