Page 16 of Under His Control

He arched a brow. “I doubt your opinion would stand between my son and his fiancée.”

Dammit.I worried about that too.

“If you could be patient to consider why and how my son met your friend, you might reconsider.” He looked at me without any pressure to kowtow to his claim. “In the meantime, help yourself. Nina has specific cravings.” He grimaced at the plate of pancakes with pickles on top, all greasy with butter and syrup. “But there is plenty for you and Olivia.”

She found him, pulling up to his pants leg. I watched as he stepped away from the stove to pick her up and show her the food.

“Want a bite?” he asked her, also using a sign language gesture to pair his words. “Can you say please?”

“Peas,” she replied.

Holy shit.I didn’t even know the extent of her vocabulary yet. But he could guess. I couldn’t help but be impressed.

I wouldn’t mistake this man for anything but the crime lord he was, but I had to consider him in a new light. Unlike me, he was at ease holding a baby. He was generous in offering her food as he cut a small bit of pancake from another plate. He knew how to make it a small bite, then let her hold the utensil with his help so she wouldn’t jam it into her mouth.

He was a Mafia lord, but also a generous host. And a father offering me simple advice.

Sometimes… not everything is black and white. Not everything is cut and dry.

And more often than not, looks could be deceiving. I had no doubts the older man holding my daughter and offering her food was a deadly killer, but it seemed that wasn’tallhe was.

“More, please?” he asked her as she made grabby hands for the fork. He did the sign language again. He glanced at me. “Can she have more?”

I nodded. “We haven’t eaten yet.”

“Help yourself,” he offered again before showing Olivia how to sign formore please. I watched, curious and guarded, as she figured out the gesture. I got a plate of food for myself, counting on sharing some with her, too.

“Moe peas,” she said in her little voice.

I smiled as she grinned, happy that Dante gave her another bite.

“You can have as much as you want,” he told her as he brought her back to me. Or maybe he was talking to me.

She settled on my lap, all her focus on the plate of food, and I was quick enough to slide it out of her reach before she smacked her hands on it all.

“Guess it’s not too soon to get the child-proof plates and cutlery out,” Dante quipped as he set Nina’s breakfast on a tray.

Damn. The boss made breakfast himself. He was taking his food to his woman, breakfast in bed. He was at ease with scolding my impatient daughter to ask nicely for another bite.

If I hadn’t already known he was a Mafia man, he could have very well looked like a normal guy caring for those around him.

He left us to eat, and while we did, I struggled with figuring out how to interpret who the Constellas really were. Just a ruthless Mafia organization? Or something else?

Because I could hardly fault Tessa for wanting to marry one of them when I was just as quick to fuck one in a closet.

That was just lust. Nothing more.I rolled my eyes, catching myself thinking of her as I cleaned up Olivia after she was done eating.

I wouldn’t be duped. This wasn’t a hotel. This was a Mafia boss’s home and I’d be wise to keep my guard up.

Including around Eva. I wasn’t sure who we’d run into next and how else someone might surprise me and make me wonder if I was too rash with my opinions of this family.

But it was far too soon to face Eva again.

6

EVA

While I was a coward to run away from Liam after we had sex in the closet, I refused to admit that I was still a coward to avoid him.

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