Page 125 of The Gangster King

Down from us, Sienna sits while Nathan stays standing staring down into his baby’s face as he cradles it in his arms. He’s obsessed with Daisy, who is very cute, and I wonder if I’ll be the same.

“Mom, can I have butter on my sweet corn?” Mateo, Summer and Mack’s son, asks.

“Yes, but you have to eat the corn, not just lick off the butter.” Summer says, shooting me a wink. “Bet you can’t wait to be a father.”

“He’ll be impatient.” Mack says, pulling the chair out for Mateo.

I was going to tell him to go fuck himself, but there are three children present plus the one inside my wife. It may be able to hear me speak, so I’m not risking it.

Addy will tell me off, in other words.

But let’s face it, my child is going to curse. It’s Italian with my blood, so of course it will.

“You’d be surprised how patient this man of mine can be when he chooses.” Adelina says, reaching out her hand for mine.

Her large diamond sparkles in the sunshine. The only hint of our true wealth. I don’t know what she tells our neighbors or if anyone asks. Mostly, we keep to ourselves, socializing with Braxton, Gianna, Decker, and Isabelle.

“Really? Mine is just bossy.” Sienna smiles at Nathan.

He leans down and hands her the baby. “Because that’s how you like it, sweetheart.”

Sienna blushes and I glance at Addy, who is grinning.

She turns to me, and I wink back. I want her pregnant again the moment our child is out of her womb. I want ten little Adelinas running around.

She said we’ll stop when we have a boy and a girl.

“Fucking hell,” Connor says, dropping into the other end of the table, while all the moms cover their children’s ears.

“Connor Barrett,” Mia cries. “If you want to be a daddy, you need to stop swearing.”

We all watch Connor.

He lifts his glass of champagne and sips slowly.

I glance at Mack in question, but he deadpans me.

“Are you trying?” Sienna asks, putting the bottle in Daisy’s mouth and glancing at both Mia and Connor.

“I try every night.” Connor sits back and slowly his lips turn into a smile.

Confident bastard.

“Now we’re in New Zealand, we can start,” Isabelle says, nudging Decker.

“One more year.” He shakes his head.

“Babe.”

“One more year, Izzy. I need to know we’re safe.” Decker slides his hand through her long hair and cups the back of her neck. “I lie awake worrying about you every night, let alone a tiny baby.”

She nods, but I can see the disappointment in her eyes.

“Look, you can’t live your life in fear. The Mexicans aren’t going to hunt you all the way to New Zealand.” Connor says, his head tilted but those solid shoulders of his never budge. “I’ve been thinking...with you, Brax, and Dante living here now, we should discuss opening a branch of Barrett Security here.”

I blink.

“What, and import paramilitary guys from the US?” I ask.

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