Page 57 of Under His Embrace

He had me there.

“Since you showed up here in the beginning of the week, I’ve had men on them. Watching them. Surveillance and tracing their calls.”

I dropped my jaw. “You have?”

He nodded. “Want to know why?”

I swallowed hard.

“Because Franco is like my son. I treat him the same as I do Romeo. Even Liam. I don’t let many people in my circle, but the ones I do, I look out for them.” He sat up, straightening from his casual slouch. “Franco was devastated when you left. He was preparing an apartment for you two to start a new life. He was excited to provide for you, to see you go to college. Just as long as you stayed in his life and loved him, so he could love you. It’s not often that people meet their soulmates so young in life, but I always assumed that was the case between you and Franco. He was never the same, Chloe. He mourned you. He missed you all that time, and the second he saw you again, it was like coming home. Hestillloves you, and I didn’t want to risk your breaking him all over again. That’s why I looked into your parents.”

I cringed.

“Because I will not let you hurt him again.”

I hung my head and exhaled a long and harsh breath. “I already have. By hiding his son from him.”

“Tell me this. If you were so stuck when you were pregnant…” He tilted his head to the side, pensive. “I’ll permit you that. You were scared, defensive of your baby. I praise you for running and hiding the way you did.At first. But what kept you from coming to Franco and telling him later? At any time in the last ten years?” He shook his head. “No. I can’t understand why you didn’t just come to my front door and tell me so I could reach him at that training.”

“Because I didn’t know if he would want to be bogged down with a baby. Our plans were to stay together while he trained. I’d go to college while he started his career for you as a soldier. He already had his mind set on becoming a capo one day. Think back to what he was like back then, Dante. Yes, we loved each other, but I also recognized how eager he was to start his job, to train and be the best soldier he could be for your family. I was nervous that he wouldn’t want to start a family so young, and I didn’t want to be an obstacle in the way of his commitment and duty to the job he was so excited to embrace.”

He smirked and shook his head. “That argument won’t work, Chloe. He was dedicated to his job. Yes, he was eager to prove himself and rise in the ranks. And he did. But a Constella soldier is not just an employee duty-bound to serve and protect us. They are part of the family. A member of afamilyhere.”

I lowered my gaze to the table. “I can see that.”

“Do you? Do you understand it and see it now since you’ve been here?” He gestured at the people in this room. “We are a family. We’re not mindless murderers like your parents are biased to assume we are. You can see now that this is a family that looks out for their own, right? We’re not all terrible people.”

I sighed and shook my head. “No. You’re right. I do see it.”

“We fight the good fight too, you know.”

“I can tell.” Why else would they go after Wes like that?

“And since Franco declared you—then and now—to be the woman he loves, that includes you. And your son.”

“I appreciate it, Dante.”

He nodded and glanced at Nina stepping into the pool. “We love each other and take care of each other because we’re family.”

“I know.” It took me too long to realize it, but I was aware of how the Constella Family operated. “And now,” I admitted ona sigh, “I need to find out if Franco can find it in his heart to forgive me.”

He raised his brows. “Talk to him,” he advised. “Don’t assume a single thing and talk to him.”

“I will.” Just as soon as he would be willing to face me and hear me out again.

He stood. “I can’t blame you for protecting Caleb. You were vulnerable and threatened, and I think, given the circumstances, you chose wisely until he was born. However, I wish you could have known that we’d always accept you and Caleb, and we’d always watch out for you. A love like what you and Franco have is not a fickle affair. It’s the forever kind of love.”

“I hope.”

He paused before stepping away. “I think the term you’ll be looking for isgrovel, Chloe. Prepare to grovel.”

I sighed, knowing this Mafia Boss was one hundred percent correct in that assessment.

25

FRANCO

For the rest of the day and evening, I holed myself up in the gym or my room. I knew Chloe wanted to speak to me. With the way I walked away from her, I was well aware that she wanted an answer to her question.

---