Page 94 of Stolen By the Enemy

I’m getting more annoyed by her with each passing moment.

“Thank goodness,” I spit out, done collecting beads off the floor. “That asshole. Threatening to ruin my wedding.”

Enzo and Luca begin discussing how Elio and Kate can help them with some business deal, but I tune them out and turn toward my husband.

“Is the child yours?” I ask him. My voice is sharp even to my own ears.

He shakes his head, then winces. “No. It’s Elio’s.”

“Well, thank goodness for small favors,” I mutter. “Can’t you just let La Rosa have her? You know his reputation. I don’t think it’s worth tangling with him.”

I can already tell my logical arguments are going to fall on deaf ears.

I watch my brothers tie up Kate and drop her onto the floor next to Elio’s unconscious body. She weeps and lies down, looking at him.

I sigh. I hope I wasn’t this pathetic when I was Marco’s prisoner.

“What about the kid?” I ask my brothers.

“Can you find him?” Enzo asks me. “Do you know what he looks like?”

I nod. “Yes. Let me know when you are ready to take him away. I’ll keep him busy.”

I clutch the little round beads in my hand and leave to go find Mateo, who thankfully, is not actually my stepson.

I figure that the swing set on the other side of the hotel is a safe place for a little boy to play before my brothers kidnap him.

I don’t even feel anger anymore—I just feel numb.

I suppose it was greedy of me to think that I could have just one simple day to enjoy my wedding.

I easily locate the gaggle of Baldini children near the dessert table. They are happily feasting on sweets until they catch sight of me walking their way.

They all freeze and look up at me guiltily, as though they will be in trouble.

I smile at them reassuringly. “Just don’t expect me to feel bad for you guys later if you get sick,” I tell them with a wink.

I hunker down by the little boy I saw with Kate earlier.

“Are you Mateo?” I ask him.

He nods, swiping at the chocolate that is all over his face.

I smile at him and reach over to the table to grab a napkin.

“Here,” I say to him, passing him the napkin. “Want to come with me for a moment?”

He looks worried, and I feel bad for taking him away from his friends. It sounds like he and his mother have been in hiding for all of his life.

Thankfully, he just smiles at me and nods, eager to be asked to go on an adventure.

I take his slightly sticky hand and lead him away from the reception, and out to the swings I saw on the other side of the hotel.

“You’re so pretty,” Mateo says to me, looking a little shy.

I laugh. “Thank you,” I tell him honestly.

I’m still clutching the beads from my dress in my other hand. I think about his father flinging me to the floor and feel a jolt of sadness lance through me.

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