Page 91 of Secret Baby for the Italian Mafia Don

Once Thaddeus isn’t at risk of dying, Tessa stands to her full height and rounds on me.

“You,” Tessa snaps, “with me.”

Contessa Mori marches me back behind the house. I follow in her angry steps, holding the box between my hands. I don’t know what’s about to happen. I don’t think she has a gun on her, but Ican’t be sure. Maybe she’s taking me back to Sal, to be put down like that badly behaved pet they just couldn’t risk keeping.

“If you’re going to kill me, at least let me put this shit down so we don’t get blood on it.”

She reels around—and slaps me hard across the face.

The pain is a jolt. I know how to take a hit, never mind a slap, but the surprise of it still jostles me. My cheek stings fiercely.

The girl is bolder than I thought.

I scrub my hand against my cheek, quietly counting down my anger before I really fuck up.

“You’re a selfish bastard, Nico Mori,” Contessa says furiously, her breaths heaving.

“That’s me.” I grin through the stinging on my lip, staring her down. “You know, I can see why Sal was into you.”

“Shut up,” she snaps. “I’m not going to let you do this.”

“Do what?” I snarl. “Get in the way of your precious husband’s plan?”

“No, you idiot. I’m not going to let you, oranyone, do this to Ava again. I know how you feel about her. I can see it in you every time you look at her, and I’ve seen how she’s changed since you moved in here. Marcel and Sal can think whatever they want, but I’m not blind. I see how you two are around each other. We just got her back, and I will be damned if you get yourself killed and do that to her again. She can’t lose someone else. She won’t survive that. Shewon’t. Do you understand me?”

I stare down at her, the pieces shuffling quietly into place. I glance down into the box between my hands, at the little trinkets and memorabilia. What have I ever given Ava? Bruises and heartache and a knife.

“She can lose me. It wouldn’t be the same. I’m not like Vinny.”

“You’d be worse,” Tessa says, sure of it. “Because you were the thing that helped heal her. Now stop giving my husband reasons to kill you,” she says, stepping up close to me, “and start giving us reasons to keep you alive.”

Us?

Slowly, sensing eyes on me, I turn and see Cecilia sitting in her sunroom that overlooks the backyard, a cup of coffee between her weathered hands. She’s watching the show.

She smiles wryly as she lifts her cup in acknowledgment—a silentyou’re welcome.

I look back at Contessa Mori, face to face with the most unlikely ally I’ve ever had.

25

Ava

Emma won’t stop crying. I don’t blame her. It’s a miserable day.

Patting the baby on the back, I try not to think about what’s happening downstairs, my whole little life getting rearranged. I know it’s not much of a life, and it’s the second time it’s happened in as many months—but it still weighs on me, a dark cloud heralding the changes on the wind. I will share my bed with another man. I will spend my time in his company, as much as he asks of me. I will learn the names of all his boring business friends and pretend to laugh at their jokes.

It is exactly the sort of thing I could have done easily weeks ago. It wouldn’t have been fun, but it would have been survivable. Now, I can barely stand the thought of it. Because ofhim. Nico has made everything better—and therefore worse.

Tessa got called away and left me with the fussy little baby, who sobs and sobs as if she’s had her own heart ripped out. I know how she feels, how devastating it is to have the person who is your whole world torn away from you suddenly. I bounce her, trying my hardest to shush her.

She only wails harder.

I try everything I can think of. I double-check her diaper, making sure she’s changed and fresh. I switch out her clothes, in case there’s something uncomfortable about her onesie. I rock her, and sing to her, and finally resort to begging her.

She’s pink in the face, hot tears spilling down those plump little cheeks.

I don’t know what she wants or how to make her happy. Is it just me? Do I just not have what it takes?

---