Page 9 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Heir

I hang my head. “Yeah, I see that.”

“So, what’s stopping you?” she presses. I can’t tell her. There’s so much at stake and the worst part is I want none of it. Unfortunately, there’s this selfish part of me that feels I deserve a seat at my dad’s murderous table. I feel I’ve earned it. But if Rosa knew that, our time together wouldn’t be enjoyable. This would be all for nothing.

I pull Rosa’s chair closer to me. “It’s a beautiful day and we’ve got the best coffee in town. Why not just enjoy that?”

“But—” Rosa starts to say before I rush in and kiss her. The kiss starts out as mechanical, as I just needed her to stop asking too many questions. However, the longer we’re there, the more passion picks up. The taste of her mocha latte is the cherry on top. I feel her wrap her arms around my waist and a light moan escapes my lips. Heat encases us until I hear kids laughing. I pull away. A few kids are by the dock and are getting closer to the coffee shop.

Rosa grins. “Too much?”

I look all around. The wind picks up and there are a lot more boats parked at the dock. My face feels hot. Not because I’m coy from kissing Rosa, but because I wasn’t supposed to do too much in public. Even if it’s just me out here, I never know who’s watching.

“Let’s finish the coffee in the car,” I murmur as I stand up.

The car ride back to the cabin is tense and quiet. Rosa doesn’t say a word but I already see her mind working on something else to ask as we walk inside. I finish off the rest of my coffee and she remains standing.

“I took it too far. I’m sorry,” she says.

“No, you didn’t. It’s a simple question to which I can’t give you an answer,” I admit without looking at her. “But, to be honest Rosa, why would you want a guy like me?”

She chuckles. “Well, you fit the description of every ex— crazy, avoidant, slightly dangerous.”

“You have your whole life ahead of you,” I blurt out before realizing what I’m saying. I glance over at her and see her eyes well with tears. No matter how much we enjoy each other’s company, there’s always something that brings us backto reality. I start to usher a quiet, “sorry,” when the front door camera buzzes. We both freeze.

“Who is that?” she asks. I reach under the cabinet and pull out a 9-millimeter.

“Go to your room, now!” I hiss. Rosa dashes into her room and shut the door. We’ve practiced this alert a thousand times now. In the event my dad pulls up to see how things are going, we need a plan. The plan, as of now, isn’t looking good. Rosa’s things are sprawled everywhere. She has new clothes, electronics, and makeup around every corner. My dad would know something was up and kill her on the spot. I can’t risk it. But I also can’t kill my dad. I grab everything I see and stuff it under the couch or throw it in the cabinet.

My mind is racing a mile a minute. There’s a knock on the door and I draw in a shaky breath as I make my way to the front. I look through the peephole and ease up a bit at the sight of the short, spiky hair and stubby body. Mikey.

“What’s up?” I say through the door.

“Open up,” he replies. Mikey isn’t an enemy but he’s also the kind to bend over backwards to keep Dad happy. He’s by the book. I could still be in hot water. I unlatch the door and swing it open.

Mikey greets me with his toothy grin and wraps me in a tight hug. “Long time, no see, little bro!” He chirps as he comes inside and gasps at the sight of the house. Admittedly, I’ve added more artwork and furniture to make it feel like less of a prison.

“Sheesh, look at this place. You’re like one of thoseHome Improvementdudes,” he exclaims as he runs his fingers along the walls. “Nice and clean.” He pauses and turns on his heel. “Seems like you’re doing alright around here.”

I nod. “I told you and Dad I had everything under control,” I say.

Mikey winces, taking a long pause. His eyes fall on the hallway that leads to Rosa’s room. I can’t let Mikey see Rosa. He’d know.

“So, what’s up? You’re just popping in to check up on me?” I continue.

“Pops said things were a little too quiet over here so I thought I’d check in,” Mikey says as he starts to walk in the direction of Rosa’s room.

“Well, Larry told me to take the reins and not look for direction,” I remind him. Mikey pauses and grits his teeth.

“So, you've been talking to Larry?” Back in the day, they were closer than all of us. The competition between them got worse the older they got and now they’re practically enemies. It doesn’t help that Larry and Mikey are both hotheads who don’t like to be wrong.

“Just to see how he is,” I mention.

Mikey stops as his eyes fall on a pink blanket with hearts draped on the couch.Shit.

“These jobs aren’t easy, little bro. It takes guts and loyalty,” Mikey says as he glances at me. “You gotta look at them as money bags, not chicks.”

I nod quickly. “Yeah, I know.”

He steps closer. Even if he’s shorter, Mikey intimidates the hell out of me. “Then visits toSailsman Coffeeshouldn’t be a thing, right?”

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