Page 60 of Mated into the Mob

“I suspect so. I’m so sorry, my love.” Flint brushed tears off my cheeks.

“This is why he was so skittish that day. How could I have been so stupid all these years?”

My mate took me by the shoulders. “This is not on you. Your dad has lived with this knowledge for years. While he has not received vengeance from La Luna Noir or been behind bars, he’s been in a prison of his own making.”

“You should read this bit, Tony.” Ranger held out the page.

I sniffed and studied the line Ranger pointed at while Lottie pulled my hair.

If you ever come looking for your La Luna Noir family, know that you will be welcomed with open arms.

Flint enveloped Lottie and me in a hug, and the others slipped away. The family I’d grown up in was nothing but a facade. “I thought I was loved, but I was a reminder of my alpha father.”

“The pain at your loss might never go away, but Lottie and I will always love you.”

The irony was my so-called law-abiding dad killed the mafia father who’d taken a huge chance by marrying outside the pack. And the mafia family kept his secret and now were the ones surrounding me with love.

“Did you want to destroy the letter, Tony? It might give you some closure.”

“I could.”

He nuzzled my throat. “You don’t sound certain.”

The letter was my last link to Anthony. He had been the absent parent, but now that I knew the truth, I felt closer to him and was so horrified at what Dad had done, I was glad he and Derek had run off.

“I’m not.”

“Did you want me to?—?”

“No!” I was adamant there would be no more killing. “As you said, the guilt and fear has been festering inside him since he did it.” I was happy to let it continue. He’d always be looking over his shoulder, peeking between the curtains, maybe checking under the car, seeing shapes in the shadows. That was punishment enough.

Besides, I might change my mind, and I needed the evidence. That I was considering that option would have sent chills down my spine before I met Flint.

Maybe I’d inherited more from Anthony than I thought.

EPILOGUE

FLINT

Lottie was crawling over the picnic blanket examining twigs and leaves and trying to put everything in her mouth. That was how she learned about the world at her age.

Tony had his eyes closed, and I was scrambling left and right after our daughter.

She must be a shifter, my wolf decided.She’s so fast.

Nah, she’s just a baby. They’re speedy. If I glanced away for a second, she was off, trying to pick up ants in her plump fingers.

Watch out, she’ll hurt herself.

“Do you need any help?” Tony lifted the hat covering his face.

“Nope, I got this.”

My mate had completed his thesis this week, and he deserved a rest.

We were sitting under what we now called Anthony’s and my tree, planted to commemorate my birth and where Tony had placed his father’s plaque.

Before I met Tony, I was all work and no play. Sundays I had lunch with the family, but before and after, my phone was inmy hand, laptop open, always working, always looking over my shoulder.

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