Page 64 of Mafia King's Surprise Baby

His eyes grow wide, mouth opening, slack-jawed for a long moment. “Bianca? But you’re dead.”

I wince, forcing a little smile. “Apparently not.”

His face now turns as red as Mattia’s did. It’s strange how I never saw before how much my brother resembles our father in both looks and reactions.

“You started a war,” he throws out at me, spittle flying from his mouth.

I bristle, my own anger coming to the fore to burn a path straight to my mouth, obliterating any filter that may have stood before it. “Youstarted one when you sacrificed me like a worthless pawn on the board of your personal ambitions.”

“Okay, enough,” Mattia calls.

I’m stunned by the authority in his tone, and what surprises me even more is how the old man also seems to listen to him.

“What’s done is done,” my brother says. “Father, there’s a reason Bianca left.”

He steps away from me, and in doing so, the view into the house opens behind us. Clearly visible at the kitchen island is Hana with a little boy on her hip as she opens pizza boxes on the marble countertop.

My father seems speechless as he takes a few steps to go stand right in front of the closed glass doors. When he turns to me, his eyes are misty. I’m frowning now, not understanding what game he’s playing. Could he be happy? Does he even have a heart that’s melting at the sight of Enzo?

“My grandson?” he asks with an awe-filled voice.

I’m still pondering his reaction, though I nod, confirming this.

His eyebrows join in a small frown. “Leo Pellegrini’s son. He looked just like that when he was five.” He turns to me. “How old is he?”

“Three.”

“You were pregnant when you left,” he adds.

I nod again.

“Leo doesn’t know, I presume?”

“No,” I reply verbally this time.

My father sighs. “May I?”

It’s strange having him ask my permission to do anything. I still remember the slap he delivered to my mouth and cheek when I tried to tell him he was marrying me to a sick pervert. But it appears a child is a miracle worker. I used to hear of family rifts in our community being settled or even smoothed over with the arrival of a baby. It seems I’m watching this happen right in front of my eyes, seeing the mighty yet ultimately toothless lion my father has always been turning into a meek lamb at the sight of his grandson.

And this does something to me, to my heart. I can’t forget what he did, but I know I have to forgive him. That’s how we’ll be able to move forward. Forget the recriminations, the resentment, and embrace love, which can cure anything.

“You want to meet him?” I ask.

When he nods, he reminds me of an eager child. It warms my soul to see this, to feel the hope that a bond might develop between us after all this time.

“Come,” I tell him, opening the sliding doors.

As I step inside, I can’t help but think of Leo, of what will happen when he finds out he has a son, a child I took away from him all this time, an heir he didn’t even know exists.

Will there be hope, then, for anything between us?

Chapter 18

Leo

The bottle of Macallan is empty by the time I leave the club. I’m in a foul mood, and everyone steps out of my way as I stalk outside. That girl, she’s new. She doesn’t know me, and no one briefed her, it seems. She should’ve been told she must leave after doing what I asked. But she got up and settled on her knees in front of me, her hand going to my fly, trying to caress my cock.

No one is allowed to touch me. No woman has since Bianca has disappeared. It’s been four years, yes, and my fist has worked just fine to keep these urges in check.

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