Page 33 of Deadly Don's Savage Vows

Taken aback my tongue is frozen in my mouth. Is that it?

Is that his entire reaction to finding out he has a son?

Nico walks right out of my apartment.

He leaves me.

The door closes behind him, clicking into place with the automatic lock.

He’s gone.

He said nothing, but he looked furious. There was so much anger in his eyes when he gave Dante back to me. I don’t understand.

Standing up, my baby in my arms, I hurry to the door and open it, looking up and down the passageway outside my apartment.

Nico is gone. He isn’t even waiting at the elevators so he must have taken the stairs.

I want to run after him. I want to shout his name and beg him to talk to me. But I can’t. I can’t bring myself to step out of the perceived safety of my apartment. Marcus is out there.

The ingrained fear of my ex far outweighs my need to speak to Nico.

I’m not going outside now.

Besides - Nico is already furious, and he told me to stay here. I don’t want to make it worse between us by disobeying him.

Closing the door I lock both dead bolts again.

What should I do?

Marcus is here. He might show up at any moment.

I clutch Dante more tightly, desperate to protect him.

But the poor little baby is picking up my energy, and it’s making him agitated and moody. He cries and no matter what I do I can’t seem to settle him down.

It’s me - it’s my anxiety seeping into him.

Placing Dante into his bouncing chair I let go of him and rock the chair, trying to sooth him without touching him because I know he can sense my tension. I don’t want to do that to him. It’s not fair of me.

Nico’s reaction to finding out Marcus was here - and that he has a son - it was intense. But I’m not stupid. It isn’t just because of me he has issues with Marcus. Marcus and Nico were enemies before I came into the picture - and it’s no secret that Nico is involved in the mafia. I’ve always known because Lina was never secretive about it.

She told me a lot about her family and her brother’s businesses - well - whatever she knew.

Enough to clarify that Nico isn’t exactly above board with how he makes his money.

Nico is hiding a lot from me.

I’ve known for a while.

It’s not like my family was innocent either. I come from a long line of mobsters - my father sold me off to the man who could give him the best alliance, not caring what happened to me after the deal was done.

I know how this world works. I have been branded into it since I was little.

Glancing over at the front door a sudden paranoia hits me.

Did I lock it?

I stand up and hurry over to it.

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