Page 53 of Mafia Heir's Broken Vows

I nod, settling beside him. "Really. Try it. Hold still and wait."

We sit together in silence, watching the tiny creature peek out from behind a rock. Leo holds his breath, completely focused. After a few moments, the lizard slowly ventures closer.

"See?" I nudge him gently. He tries to grab the lizard, but it's faster than his five-year-old reflexes.

Leo glances up at me, thoughtful. "Mommy says you're my dad. Are you going to teach me lots of things?"

His innocent words hit me harder than any punch ever could. For a moment, I struggle to breathe, to find the right words. The way he said Dad—it's a title I didn't know I'd been waiting my whole life to hear.

I reach out and gently ruffle his dark hair. "Yeah, Leo. Everything I know. And more."

His grin widens. "Even how to catch lizards?"

I laugh, the sound raw but genuine. "Especially how to catch lizards. And maybe how to catch girls too."

"Girls are gross." He pulls up his nose, and I make a mental note to remind him of that when his teenage hormones begin to rage.

He giggles, leaning into me. This moment—this connection—it's everything. For the first time in my life, I feel like a father.

I findSerafina upstairs out on the balcony, leaning against the railing, her hair catching the light. She gazes out at the endless sea, lost in thought. Her dress blowing in the breeze, giving me a sneak peep of her perfect ass. I just stand there, watching her—memorizing her. Getting hard, just thinking about her.

I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She startles slightly but melts into me almost immediately.

"You and Leo looked good together out there," she murmurs, her voice soft.

I press a kiss to her shoulder. "We were catching lizards, not girls. Girls are gross, lizards are not. So, I learned today." She laughs turning slowly in my arms, studying my face. Her eyes search mine, lingering.

"I just want him to know you. The real you. Not the man you were before. The man you are now."

I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing softly against her skin. "He will. I swear to you, he will. That man knows all about lizards, anyway." Her eyes glisten slightly, and she leans up, kissing me gently. The kiss deepens, slow and deliberate, as if we are both savoring a stolen bit of quiet together.

We break apart slowly, and I rest my forehead against hers. "I want to build a life for us here. A real life. No more looking back. Maybe a lizard farm, or something."

She smiles softly, shaking her head. "Or something, huh?"

That evening,we gather around the small fire pit out on the terrace. The stars are bright in the dark sky above us, and the waves murmur against the shore. Leo is tucked between us, fighting sleep but losing. His eyelids droop as he leans againstSerafina's side. His yawns get closer together and he rubs his eyes.

Serafina brushes a hand through Leo's hair, her voice soft. "What do you think he'll be like when he grows up?"

I glance at Leo, my heart tightening. "Kind. Strong. Maybe a little stubborn. Definitely smarter than me."

She laughs softly. "He's already all of that."

I shift closer, my hand finding hers. "I want him to have choices. To be free to become whoever he wants. Not trapped by legacies or family, and debts. Just happy."

She squeezes my hand, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "Then we have to give him that. A home. A family. A chance to dream."

I stare into the flames, thinking about the man my son might be. I hope he's a smartass just like his mother.

Later,after the house is quiet, I check on Leo. He's sprawled out in his bed, clutching a stuffed bear that Serafina convinced him was the cousin of his lost lion. I stand in the doorway, watching him sleep.

I step in quietly, pulling the blanket up over him. I kneel beside the bed, moving the other toys he's hoarded in there with him. No one can sleep on a Lego and be comfortable.

"I'll protect you, Leo. Always. Even from Legos."

I stay there for a moment longer. Then I get up and close the door softly behind me.

Serafina waits for me in our room, curled up under the blankets. She lifts her head when I enter, eyes on me.

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